Is this bad

Ok.. I've read through a lot of post and have come to realize beginners are paranoid. So sorry upfront. This is my second batch it's a witbier. My 1st batch an irish stout seems to be going good. Should be popping a bottle this weekend to try it. My issue with the witbier is a slimy looking "film" on top. I'll try to post pics. I pulled the blowoff tube and smelled it but that film looks horrible. The 1st pic is 24 hrs in.. it was bubbling away pretty good after 12 hrs.. the other two pics are 48 hrs out.. at 72 hrs it still looks about the same.. maybe thinner. Thanks in advance

You'e looking at krausen. All good!

That is a beautiful sight, perfectly fermenting beer! Wit yeast can ferment explosively, so keep that blowoff attached until krausen has fallen. Also my wits don't always smell to appetizing but always taste great by the end, FYI.

Pretty much what I've been told at my local brew shop (www.norcalbrewingsolutions.com) is pretty much unless you spit in your beer you'll be fine.

Some will turn out better than others, but it's really hard to straight up ruin a batch.

Whew... thanks guys.. so yea paranoid. The Irish Stout didn't look anything like that.. nice foamy looking head. And the smell isn't bad on this.. missed that part on my original post lol

WaltG said:

Pretty much what I've been told at my local brew shop (www.norcalbrewingsolutions.com) is pretty much unless you spit in your beer you'll be fine.

Some will turn out better than others, but it's really hard to straight up ruin a batch.

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Spitting in your beer is never a good idea

I'm going to put a little qualifier on the above post though--'as long as you sanitize your equipment pretty well...'

Well went to rack it to second fermenter and it tastes horrible. Still a thin film of that horrible looking stuff on top.. toss it or rack it and hope for the best?

It's been what, 6 days in the fermenter? It sounds like the krausen hasn't completely fallen yet, you're probably tasting yeast and unfinished beer. Leave it alone for another week or two then if the gravity is stable bottle it.

Don't know what is was but had to have a whiskey to get it off my tongue lol. So leave it in primary or go to secondary. plan was to rack to secondary for a week or two.

I really would just leave it alone. IMO the only thing secondary does for a beer like this is risk oxidation or infection with one more transfer.

Patience...it takes more than a week to make good beer.

As mentioned earlier, the 'horrible looking stuff' is just the yeast that is working hard to make your beer (so be nice to them )...well the yeast and proteins and a few other odds and ends that float up there.

Remember that you're tasting warm, uncarbonated, yeasty/unsettled beer that more than likely isn't even done cleaning up from fermentation (7 days?). It just needs time.

Ok.. thanks I'll let it sit.. my 1st batch the stout turned out great btw. Did I mention paranoid lol. I tasted the stout after a week when checking the gravity and it tasted like flat stout.. guess I was expecting the same.

jro238 said:

Patience...it takes more than a week to make good beer.

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+1 Beer takes time to mature (unfortunately ). I keep mine in the fermenter for at least a month. A week (even two) is far to short a time to judge where a beer is at.